# Storj Coin

![storj coin logo](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626514534/bexl-capital/blog/storj_coin_tzwafx.jpg)

STORJ pronounced as "storage," is an open-source cloud storage platform. It uses a decentralized network of nodes to host user data.

- Would you store your data with a cloud storage provider that crowdsources its storage infrastructure but promises fast, secure service at extremely low prices? STORJ startup provides for decentralized cloud storage by renting excess storage capacity from individuals and companies that have enough space to give.

- Storj was founded by Shawn Wilkinson in May 2014. Wilkinson was a software developer based in Atlanta. He saw how blockchain technology could be leveraged to build a decentralized cloud storage network. 

- Since 2014 the concept and details have changed. The current version of Storj, V3, was launched in the middle of 2019.

- At first, it was to be a decentralized peer-to-peer encrypted cloud storage platform it has since then upgraded to a decentralized network connecting users who need cloud storage space with those who have hard drive space to sell.

- People with hard drive space and good internet connectivity can participate in the network. They become a unit in the network, called a node. Space providers are rewarded with Storj tokens.

-	Unlike other cloud storage systems such as AWS (amazon), google cloud, dropbox, or Azure, STORJ doesn't have the expense of purchasing or maintaining its data center and as a result, they can provide much cheaper services than other public cloud services providers. STORJs storage services are up to 50%                                                                                                                           cheaper. Google, AWS charge about $22 for one terabyte static storage and $99 for bandwidth while the tardigrade system used by storj charges $10 for one terabyte and $45 for bandwidth.

![decentralised network illustration](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626514535/bexl-capital/blog/decntralised_cloud_storage_tt0zzg.png)

- Storj Labs Inc. uses its Tardigrade software installed on node computers to create and secure user data. This network of anonymous nodes removes the need to trust cloud storage service providers to secure the privacy of our data.

- The system is also peer-to-peer encrypted, which means that each file is encrypted before being dispersed to the network of independent hosts. Each node only receives a random fragment of a whole file with decryption keys split among each node and the host, making it almost impossible to hack.

- Storj’s current infrastructure is made up of more than 13,000 node operators spread across more than 90 countries. Storj Decentralized Cloud Storage (DCS) software first encrypts files that are to be uploaded. Then it cuts each file into 80 segments. The erasure coding algorithm uses 29 data segments and 51 parity segments with all the segments stored in different storage nodes. That means when customers want to retrieve a file, they only need 29 of the 80 segments to reconstitute the file. That also means 52 of the storage nodes have to be lost before data integrity is compromised, this algorithm makes it incredibly resilient.

- Node operators get rewarded for hosting data as well as confirming the safety and retention of the hosted files randomly.  The Storj token is used for this purpose. Individuals or organizations who want to store their data on the network provide the Storj tokens paid to nodes.


## STORJ COIN

STORJ is the utility token of the network which is used to pay STORJ node operators, it also used to pay for storage, and it enables STORJ labs to pay about 70,000 operators in over 90 countries, the token also enables smart contracts and micropayments, it is used to provide demand partners with an incentive of driving demand to the network, and finally it can serve as a medium of exchange in non-tardigrade networks.

## EXCHANGES WHERE YOU CAN BUY STORJ

- Binance

- Diginifex

- Huobi global

- HitBTC

- BKEX

- UNISWAP

- GATE.IO

- Coinbase exchange.
 
## POSITIVES

1. The sales pitch is very strong;

2. It offers decentralization which makes it more secure; 

3. It is significantly cheaper than the majority of cloud services available;

4. It is compatible with other cloud services available such as FileZilla, filebase, and even amazon;

5. It pays in crypto that’s going up in value;

6. It also creates more businesses (node operators);
7. And unlike other services, Tardigrade offers fixed pricing, making it easier to budget storage costs.



Would you store your data with a cloud storage provider that crowdsources its storage infrastructure but promises fast, secure service at extremely low prices? STORJ startup provides for decentralized cloud storage by renting excess storage capacity from individuals and companies that have enough space to give.

Storj Coin

# AN INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL ASSETS 

![digital assets](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1628293660/bexl-capital/blog/digital_assets_dw9bua.jpg)

When the term digital assets were first used, they were used to refer to items like videos, images, and audio. However digital assets are taking on a whole new form with the emergence of blockchain technology, and this new class of digital assets is popularly known as crypto assets and they are probably the most significant investment opportunities available today.

There is a common misconception about what exactly the term crypto assets mean, when the term Cryptoassets is mentioned what comes to the mind of a lot of individuals is bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Although this perception is not wrong, it does not entirely cover the full range of what exactly crypto assets are. 

The evolution of crypto assets began in 2008 with the development of the Bitcoin blockchain by a mysterious Satoshi Nakomoto. As at then, it was mainly attractive to diehard technologists and most members of the society had barely heard about it or cared about it. When interest eventually began to build in bitcoin, additional crypto assets began to develop such as Ethereum, Litecoin, and Namecoin. As early as 2016, some businesses began testing the application of the blockchain technology, also in 2019 alone, it was estimated that $2.9 billion was invested into blockchain technology. In 2021 full-scale use of blockchain technology by big companies like airline giants Boeing, Honeywell, IBM, Samsung, Microsoft, and VISA is driving a seismic shift to the crypto world. Also, individual use of blockchain has increased significantly since 2017 by close to 400%.

![network of computers](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1628293768/bexl-capital/blog/network_fjvdkj.png)

So that begs the question, what are crypto assets? 

Cryptoassets are cryptographically secured digital representations of value that can be transferred, stored, or traded. Crypto assets differ from other financial "assets" in the sense that they exist without a centralized authority such as a bank to monitor, approve or store the transactions, instead, crypto assets are stored on the blockchain hence making them decentralized. This is due to the decentralized nature of the blockchain. The way the blockchain operates no one has to know or trust anyone else. Also, blockchains are not operated by any singular entity, but rather by a series of computing rigs that may be located around the world. Transactions on the blockchain are uploaded to an open ledger and once a transaction has been recorded on a blockchain, it can’t be altered or deleted.

A crypto asset is a digital asset that is secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit. A defining feature of crypto assets is that they are generally not issued by any central authority, rendering them theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.

There are several classes of crypto assets, the most popular being cryptocurrency. However as earlier mentioned it comprises more than just cryptocurrency. The following are various types of cryptoassets;

- **Cryptocurrency:** it is quite easy to guess why it is first on the list. Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that use blockchain technology to encrypt, regulate, and verify the transfer of funds between people. The first and most well-known cryptocurrency is bitcoin (BTC), however today there are thousands of other cryptocurrencies with different functions and specifications they are known as Altcoins. Cryptocurrencies hold the promise of making it easier to transfer funds directly between two parties, without the need for a trusted third party like a bank or credit card company.  These transfers are instead secured by the use of public keys and private keys and different forms of incentive systems, like Proof of Work or Proof of Stake.

- **StableCoins:** the value of a cryptocurrency is largely driven by the varying perceptions of the intrinsic value of the cryptocurrency hence the prices of cryptocurrencies tend to fluctuate making it volatile. Stablecoins are digital currencies that are pegged to an already established currency and are designed to reduce the level of volatility that is prominent with various other cryptocurrencies. For instance, Tether (USDT) is a stablecoin that is backed by the U.S. dollar. Some stablecoins are backed by commodities instead of fiat currency, like Digix (DGX), which operates by the gold standard.

- **Utility Tokens:** Utility tokens are used in the operation of a blockchain service. They are typically made to serve some kind of purpose within the blockchain and/or give users access to particular services or voting rights. They can be used when a company wants to create a coupon that can be exchanged in the future for access to its services. This is used as a strategy to obtain financing for a project, due to this, utility tokens are often surrounded by a lot of hype and speculation.  STORJ is a very good example of a utility token as it allows one to pay for using the decentralized cloud storage service it provides.
 
- **Crypto Collectibles:** a crypto collectible is a cryptographically unique, non-fungible digital asset. Crypto collectibles are a form of digital art that can be authenticated as an original through blockchain technology.; There are many blockchain projects out there that involve the exchange of digital items, the value of which is determined by rarity such as cryptopunks, cryptokitties, and axie infinity. Many crypto-collectibles or "non-fungible tokens'' are working with the ERC-721 standard on the Ethereum blockchain.

- **Security Tokens:** A security token based on blockchain technology is not to be confused with the security token that you need to access a sensitive network system such as a bank account. Also called an “investment token” or “equity token,” in the realm of blockchain technology a security token is a cryptographic token that is tied to a securities offering. Security tokens are similar to utility tokens but they are often used in the process of crowdfunding a new cryptocurrency or blockchain project. A security token represents a stake in the project and often comes with an expectation of profit in the future. Token holders can be given benefits such as voting rights, profit shares, and dividends. Because of this, security tokens are subject to certain federal security regulations.

- **Hybrid Tokens:** Hybrid tokens as the name implies are a combination of the functions of a security token and a utility token. A hybrid token can be valued for both investments and practical uses on a platform. They are useful for investors who hold for speculative value and participants who want to become users of a product or service.

- **Privacy coins:** cryptocurrency advocates often highly value their anonymity, citing benefits of privacy like protection for whistle-blowers or activists living under repressive governments. Some cryptocurrencies are more private than others.  Privacy coins are a class of cryptocurrencies that include extra layers of security(encryption) to keep data from transactions private. However, privacy-oriented coins such as Dash, Monero, or ZCash, and are far more difficult to trace. Privacy coin owners will remain anonymous alongside the amounts in their wallet and their transaction history.

This list is not exhaustive because as we speak, the crypto asset ecosystem is still evolving. One way to better understand crypto assets is to get to know more about their purpose. The organizations choosing to issue crypto-assets have specific goals and purposes. Every crypto asset has a project behind it and understanding the project would help in understanding the crypto asset. The purpose of crypto assets such as bitcoin was to be a “peer to peer electronic cash system”. Some emerging crypto assets have proven to be quite innovative, for instance, 

Ethereum enables the deployment of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dapps) to be built and run without any downtime, fraud, control, or interference from a third party. Some others are created with the intention to solve real-life issues such as utility coins like STORJ and Filecoin that aim to solve the issue of decentralized cloud storage, ICP also aims to create a decentralized internet. The value of a crypto asset depends on the company issuing (through an ICO), the media coverage, and the secondary market. Some crypto assets are meant to be quite rare with a limited supply. 

For example, Bitcoins code limits the total number of bitcoins to a capped supply of 21million. Other criteria that have effects on the value of crypto assets are quantity, liquidity, staking, and use case. By choosing the specificities, the organization creating the crypto asset might have some responsibility in defining what category it fits in. Cryptoassets hold value in the following ways:

- **Payments:** It can be used to make transactions such as buy goods or services without requiring a trusted third party to complete the transaction.

- **Value Storage:** Since the total supply of most cryptoassets is finite, the limited supply influences their value.

- **Stable coins:** Cryptoassets can be attached to commodities such as gold or oil or currencies, such as the USD.

- **Privacy:**  The technology that crypto assets are built on security that can allow users and owners to remain anonymous during transactions.

- **Digital Access and Inclusivity:** Even people who have no access to traditional banks can enter the financial system with the help of cryptoassets.

The recent popularity of cryptoassets in the world of finances is already causing a gradual but powerful shift from the conventional financial system. One of the reasons for the increasing popularity of, and people’s increasing interest in, crypto assets, lies in the fact that the technology that forms the backbone of crypto assets promises more financial inclusion compared with legacy finance. Also, crypto assets appeal more to the younger generation that would soon become major drivers of the world economy. The popularity of Decentralized Finances (DEFI) over the past few years is due to the fact that it has proven to be a better option than the old financial systems dictated by centralized authorities. Due to its decentralized nature, the changes that will be occasioned by crypto will be on a global scale and it seems inevitable that the global economy will have to accept that crypto assets, and the technology behind it, is here to stay. 

###REASONS TO INVEST IN DIGITAL ASSETS

- **To Diversify Your Portfolio:** Portfolio diversification is the process of investing your money in different asset classes to minimize the overall risk of your investment portfolio. The fundamental purpose of this is to minimize your overall risk in your investments, by diversifying, all your investments would not uniformly be affected by the same market events. Because cryptoassets do not correlate with other assets, such as bonds and stocks, investing in cryptoassets is a clever way to establish yourself as a successful and innovative investor in today's dynamic and constantly changing world of finance.

- **The Future of Cryptoassets Seems Bright:**  One thing is evidently clear from the history and study of crypto assets and it is that the future of crypto assets is very promising. While we all know that crypto assets are highly volatile, investing in crypto assets can be a safer and more promising alternative compared to other asset classes. Also, blockchain is poised to be the technology that will drive the future, and most programs that run on the blockchain use cryptoassets to incentivize their platforms. 

-  **Cryptoasset Investment Can Lead to High Returns:** Perhaps the main motivator for people to invest in cryptoasset is the possibility to make a profit. Like it or not, money makes our world spin and is one of the main reasons to invest in cryptoassets. Though crypto trading is relatively new, cryptoassets can lead to higher returns compared to other assets, such as stocks. Cryptoassets are highly volatile, which means that one can potentially achieve high returns from a single trade or investment. At the same time, let’s not forget that volatility also means that traders can lose it all in a second. So always consider potential risks! As crypto asset investing can be highly demanding, one of the first steps to success is to educate yourself on the asset class and devise an effective risk management strategy to limit losses.

- **Increased Adoption from Institutional Investors:** More and more financial institutions are creating a position for cryptoassets as part of their portfolio. This is a major factor for bitcoins recent price increase. Not only do institutional investors create a big buyer in the market, but they also effectively remove a supply of bitcoin from trading. Bitcoin has a fixed lifetime supply cap of 21 million coins, and miners mint just 6.25 new bitcoin about every 10 minutes after the last halving event about a year ago. Earlier this year, institutions were buying up supply more quickly than it was created, resulting in a surge in price for coins still in circulation. The more institutions adopt cryptoassets the sooner cryptoassets become a widely recognized asset class.

What cryptoassets have introduced is a totally new asset class from what the traditional world offers. Initially, it was gold and silver, then it was fiat currency followed by other asset classes like stocks and bonds. The issue with fiat currency is that it is controlled by a central authority and the people in possession of that authority always want to change rules to strengthen their power over the economy and the people. This is part of what led to the abolishment of the gold standard and the introduction of unlimited printing of paper money. What the introduction of cryptoassets presents is the secure democratization of money and finances through decentralization. The utilization of blockchain technology also eliminates the need for third parties while conducting transactions thereby providing a safer and quicker means of transacting.

When the term digital assets were first used, they were used to refer to items like videos, images, and audio. However digital assets are taking on a whole new form with the emergence of blockchain technology, and this new class of digital assets is popularly known as crypto assets.

An Introduction to Digital Assets

# Introduction To KAVA

![kava logo](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1628296160/bexl-capital/blog/kava_zsu9xh.png)

Kava is a decentralized finance (Defi) platform that allows users to issue loans to themselves using their cryptocurrency as collateral. Kava is a decentralized lending platform that seeks to bring new flexibility to the Defi space. The KAVA platform is known for its cross-chain capabilities and unique lending strategy. Through Kava, users can borrow USDX(the KAVA stable coin) tokens by depositing collateral, effectively leveraging their exposure to crypto-assets. With Kava, anyone can use a handful of major cryptocurrencies (BTC, XRP, BNB, and ATOM) as collateral to generate self-issued loans without running a credit check or finding a counterparty. 

Kava resides on the futuristic Cosmos blockchain. Cosmos is a fourth-generation blockchain that seeks to help categorize and leverage the growing number of blockchains in the market. Cosmos has a native token called ATOM. Kava Protocol operates with the same consensus mechanism as the cosmos blockchain, which is a Tendermint-based Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism that offers Byzantine Fault Tolerance; this means when 1/3 of the validator nodes fail or display malicious behavior, tendermint PoS system will stall until the problem/faulty nodes are rectified.

### BACKGROUND
The parent company behind Kava is KAVA labs inc and it was co-founded by Brian Kerr, Ruaridh O'Donnell, and Scott Stuart. Developers of Kava specifically developed the system to provide stablecoins and decentralized lending against all major crypto assets more transparently and simplistically. Kava aims to provide a platform that is compatible with major crypto assets, including Bitcoin, XRP, BNB, and ATOM. 

### HOW DOES KAVA WORK?

![kava process](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1628296176/bexl-capital/blog/kava_process_xczi21.png)

1. Deposit Crypto: the user deposits their crypto on the kava platform through the use of a web portal; this is done by connecting their wallet to the platform and sending their desired amount of crypto asset to the Kava Platform.

2. Create CDP: Kava locks in the amount deposited, and it is now used as collateral for a CDP (collateralized debt position); this is a smart contract that holds the cryptocurrency debt and adjusts based on issuance or redemptions. CDP serves an important purpose; not only is it needed to initiate a loan, but Kava will liquidate your collateral if it falls below a particular debt ratio threshold, which helps protect the Kava ecosystem.

3. Create Stable Coin: once the user has locked up the collateral, they will be issued the equivalent amount by the Kava platform in the form of their own stable coin USDX. 

4. Close CDP: To unlock your collateral at any point, all the user has to do is pay the debt and a stability fee.

5. CDP Auction: like a margin call, the system will automatically liquidate the collateral if the debt to collateral value drops below a specified threshold.

6. Collateral returned: once the debt is paid, the system burns the stable coin, and the user is returned their collateral.

### KAVA TOKEN.
KAVA is the native token for the kava platform. The KAVA token first launched in 2019 following several private sales and a Binance Launchpad initial exchange offering IEO. In total, 40% of KAVA tokens were sold to private sale investors, whereas 6.52% of the total supply was sold on Binance Launchpad, raising $3 million. The Kava token serves various functions on the Kava platform, such as;

1. A governance token within the ecosystem and holders of the token use it to vote on critical parameters on the platform, such as on specific parameters of the CDP system.

2. New Kava is created for every block and distributed to Node validators participating in the consensus process, and this serves as a form of incentive for validators.
 
3. KAVA can also function as a reserve currency for the network. If USDX becomes over collateralized, the network will mint new KAVA to utilize in the purchase of USDX. This allows Kava to ensure its stable coin retains its value.

4. You can also become a delegator by delegating your Kava holdings to node validators and earn rewards while still keeping custody of your assets.

### POSITIVES
1. Kava utilizes a dual token strategy to ensure that each user gains the maximum flexibility and usability possible. The two coins that are critical to Kava are USDX and KAVA.

2. You can stake and bond USDX stablecoin to start yielding a healthy passive income.

3. The fast finality of the Kava blockchain enables USDX to be used for general payment purposes on many blockchain networks.

4. Traders can hold USDX as a stable asset when seeking to limit exposure to volatile crypto assets.

5. Kava Protocol’s core functionality can be used as the foundation for a variety of financial applications.  Kava Labs has built a collection of tools developers can leverage to build the financial future of tomorrow.

6. Kava allows for different types of crypto assets as opposed to other lending platforms that offer the same services.

7. Services that use crypto-assets can integrate Kava into their platform to offer their users financial services offered by Kava.

### NEGATIVES.
1. The Defi space is overcrowded.

### Exchanges where Kava is listed

- Binance

- Huobi global

- Kraken

- Gate.io

- WazirX

- Upbit

- CoineX

- FlyBit

- Crypto.com Exchange.

Learn more from [here](https://www.kava.io/about)

Kava is a decentralized finance (Defi) platform that allows users to issue loans to themselves using their cryptocurrency as collateral. Kava is a decentralized lending platform that seeks to bring new flexibility to the Defi space.

Introduction To KAVA

# What is Money

![dollar notes](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626479302/bexl-capital/blog/Picture4_cxysmz.jpg)

Money, one of the most significant inventions of mankind, is the wheel that keeps the majority of our systems running.

Money is any item that is generally accepted as a means of exchange for goods and services. It is any item that serves as a medium of exchange.

However as mentioned earlier, money is an innovation of mankind and as such, it did not always exist. Ages before money was invented people still participated in trade but in the form of exchange of goods and services, this is known as the barter system and it is the origin of trade and money.


### Barter System

The barter system existed for years. People exchanged services and goods for other services and goods in return. People would get rice in exchange for flour. Or, salt in exchange for until they realized that not everything is available or can be grown in the same amount. This made certain goods more valuable than others. 

![exchange of goods](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626479302/bexl-capital/blog/Picture1_stwdan.jpg)

For example, 1 liter of petrol is more valuable than 1 liter of water. This brought about the necessity to create a better medium of exchanging goods, so there was the introduction of a 3rd party item that would convey equal value to both parties in the exchange, unlike the barter system.


### Use of Items as Money

The immediate resolution to the hardship occasioned by the barter system was the use of items as a medium of exchange. Over time various items such as whales’ teeth, barley, cattle, cowries, alcohol, mirrors, limestone rings, shells, etc, have been used as money to pay for goods and services. As you might have guessed this method wasn’t sustainable for many reasons. The key ones are explained below;

- Durability: the majority of these items lacked durability and were subject to wear and tear, spoilage, and even death. Using cattle as money ran the risk of the cattle getting ill and if the cattle died then you've lost your money.

- Portability: a lot of these items were either too heavy when in bulk or too big to be easily moved around.

- Divisibility: the value of some items such as cattle is in them being whole and if split, they lose their entire value.

- Acceptability: even though the majority of the items used as money had some intrinsic value, some people may not accept them as money as value is usually subjective and as such some people may see zero value in some items and refuse to accept them as money.

- Limited supply: one key feature of money is that it must be in limited supply as it would have no value if it's in unlimited supply to everyone. The items used as money were often natural resources that were slightly hard to get and as such people could get these items easily if they tried hard enough. For instance, if cattle were still money, herders would only have to breed more cattle faster. 

Based on the above-mentioned reasons this medium of exchange failed and it brought about the need for another form of money.


### Coinage

This form of money originated from China in 1000BC when bronze and copper imitations of the cowrie were made. These primitive versions of metal money are what developed into coinage later on in 500BC, the first coins were developed in Lydia (modern-day turkey) from melted lumps of silver taking the familiar round form it has till date, and to certify the authenticity of these coins they were marked with either the emperors seal, the sigil of a noble family or the symbol of a god. The difference between this and the Chinese coins was that the new coins were made from precious stones and not metal as such the new form of coinage had more value.

![gold coin](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626479302/bexl-capital/blog/Picture2_ns2fzf.jpg)

The problem faced by coinage came in form of standardization which requires that every coin is the same and should be given the same value, while in reality the coins were different as coins usually wear down naturally or by man through clipping or debasing which is minting coins that look the same but with lower silver or gold content.

Also, the limited supply that monies are required to have will come back to hunt this form of monies. Because precious stones were natural resources that are naturally difficult to come by as that's what makes them be "precious", scarcity was bound to occur and in fact, did occur. Also, the issue of mobility posed a challenge as carrying around large quantities of coins could be exhausting and, in some instances impossible. Once again what was considered as money needed to evolve to solve all these problems.

### Paper Currency

Once again, the Chinese were ahead of the rest of the world in innovating a new medium of exchange, as far back as 806 AD the Chinese already invented a type of paper currency in the form of IOU. The emperor kept their heavy coins back in their palace and issued IOU certificates on paper. Although paper in itself had no intrinsic value, people trusted that it is worth just as much as the coins it was meant to represent and that they could always exchange it for gold or whatever the IOU represented. The Chinese paper currency became widespread around china and the value quickly depreciated and inflation occurred, this resulted in paper currency disappearing in China in 1455AD.

![paper notes](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626479302/bexl-capital/blog/Picture3_fyhkji.jpg)

The paper currency later re-emerged as global trade grew and the need for an easier means of exchange brought about the need for paper currency. It had a long history of ups and downs and even experienced the same issue the Chinese did which was the depreciation of the paper currency which later on led to inflation. To solve the issue faced by paper currency, the value of the paper currency was linked to something with a more stable value, gold. This was known as the GOLD STANDARD which emerged in 1871, guidelines were made to allow for a non-inflatory production of standard banknotes which represented a certain amount of gold. Many countries around the world adopted the gold standard and the benefit was that it created a standard of exchange between different countries. 

The gold standard led to the introduction of central banks and hand in hand they worked to regulate the value of the paper currency. The success of this method popularized it around the globe and paper currency became the norm globally. The gold standard ensured a low inflation rate since each banknote in circulation has to be backed by a certain amount of gold, as such the government could not print more paper currency unless it had the gold equivalent in their gold reserves, therefore rapid money growth and inflation were less likely. Although the gold standard had its positives it also had its negatives, for instance during the great recession of the 1930s, Central banks could not freely expand the money supply to stimulate the economy, when necessary, in this case, the limited supply of currency is a drag on the economy, and this marked the beginning of the end for the gold standard.

![dollar notes](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626479302/bexl-capital/blog/Picture4_cxysmz.jpg)

The need for more flexible exchange rates prevailed and since the early 1970s, the world has stopped trying to maintain the gold standard. Since then, till present day paper currency has gone on to be the most prevalent form of currency due to the more refined system it has over past forms of monies. In the present day, people simply have faith that their currencies will retain their values and the knowledge that so many others share the same faith reinforces the general optimism people have in their money. Also, the government and central bank try to maintain the value of the paper currency through various fiscal policies.


### Digital Money

It is estimated that minted coins and paper money is now used in only 2% of transactions worldwide and this is due to the ease technology has brought about through innovations like electronic banking which enables transactions to take place in a fraction of seconds regardless of distance. Also, in recent times technology has driven innovations aimed at functioning as money, innovations such as cryptocurrency which exhibits the characteristics of money as they are hard to forge, durable, portable, divisible, and limited in supply.

![crypto currencies](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1626479302/bexl-capital/blog/Picture5_wnbcbf.jpg)

 In the future, it is expected that this form of money will challenge the power of government-backed fiat currency, and if history is anything to go by, this change is bound to happen.

### Conclusion

So, what again is money? Seeing how the concept of what is considered to be money has changed over time, it's safe to say money is a social contract because it does not exist in objective reality, it exists as a result of human interaction. Money exists because humans agree that it exists, especially paper currency as it's sometimes a wonder how a substance made out of the bark of trees can have so much value bestowed upon it and make it worth more than items with intrinsic value.

As a result of money being a social contract, it is subject to change as seen several times throughout history, as long as people in the society collectively agree to give it value an item would be regarded as money. Due to money being a social contract the currently used monies (fiat currency) are also bound to be replaced in the future by cryptocurrencies or they will be used side by side since they can both coexist. Once countries' central banks start adopting cryptocurrencies as a legal tender, they would eventually overshadow fiat currencies and the wave already started with the nation of El Salvador whose central bank recently adopted Bitcoin as a legal tender. It is also predicted that by 2030 cryptocurrencies would have replaced 25% of fiat currencies.

Money, one of the most significant inventions of mankind, is the wheel that keeps the majority of our systems running. Money is an innovation of mankind and as such, it did not always exist.

What is Money?

# What is finance?

Finance is defined as the management of money, and it includes activities such as investing, borrowing, lending, budgeting, and saving. Finance originates from the French word "Finer," which means "to end" and "to pay."  “To end” in this perspective means to settle a dispute or debt that is due. Adapted into English, finance means the management of money. Finance is the lifeline of all activities; economic, social, and administrative. Finance function can be seen in all activities and processes, from savings to financial institutions and governments taxes. Finance is closely related to money because it’s a means of exchange.

### What is Traditional finance/Centralized Finance (CeFi)?
The traditional financial system consists of banks and financial institutions as the main pillars of its operating mechanism. We all have at least one or probably more than one bank account and are using banking services like financial transactions, credit card payments, ATM withdrawals, among others. Banks are quite a powerful constituent of the overall economic scenario, and thanks to globalization, we have today many global banks operating in different parts of the world. The history of traditional finance began in 1694 when the Bank of England was founded to look after the gold of businessmen traveling to the country. Carrying gold around was inconvenient and exposed individuals to the vulnerability of being attacked or mugged. It made a lot of sense to businessmen to store their wealth in a secure vault while carrying out their business. Businessmen were given a receipt for their gold, which allowed them to redeem their precious metals upon exiting the country. 

Today, if you want to access financial services such as borrowing, lending out money, earning interest on savings, investing some money, or applying for a mortgage, the first option is to go to your local bank, where you would need to provide proof of identity, address, employment among many other details before an account can be opened for you.  Other options could be through a financial advisor or a broker. The current traditional financial system relies heavily on banks and financial institutions to provide these services to its customers. Despite a century of innovations in the traditional financial system, it is still far from perfect; settlement of stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments takes days to clear and requires a massive amount of human capital to be involved in the process. 

### Criticisms of The Traditional Finance System.
1. Centralization: Traditionally, financial services are offered in a centralized manner, where central entities such as the government and banks are responsible for governing the way currencies are issued, regulated, and traded. A privileged few make financial decisions affecting billions of people behind closed doors.

2. Use of 3rd parties:  traditional banking makes use of 3rd parties to carry out transactions. To complete a transaction, it will have to pass through middlemen. Typically carrying out a transaction would follow this process; from you(sender) to a middleman like your bank or some payment channels like Interswitch, VISA, or MasterCard, then to you your receiver's bank, and finally to the receiver. The process involves too many parties.

3. The difficulty associated with international banking: the traditional finance system is inefficient in conducting international transactions. High costs of charges and the slow processing time are the norms for international transactions.

4. Unequal access to banking services: millions of people are left unbanked across the globe.

5. Heavy reliance on human capital: banks and financial institutions hire millions of people to maintain an inefficient system while also keeping up with ever-changing banking laws.

6. A super high barrier for new entries: it's challenging, if not impossible, to create a new financial company without access to tremendous amount of capital hence stifling innovation. 

![tradition finance](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1628296883/bexl-capital/blog/traditional_finance_uxlvw7.png)

Decentralized finance (Defi)
On the other hand, a decentralized financial system is a financial system that is governed by users, and no central entity can control it. Defi (Decentralized Finance) is a new kind of financial ecosystem that is built on the blockchain. Transactions on a blockchain are peer-to-peer, transparent, and encrypted (secure). The idea behind decentralized financial systems is to carry out processes without or at least with little influence from third parties such as banks or financial intermediaries, which saves both time and costs. On the other hand, the control over the respective money and assets lies mainly or even wholly with the individual owners. 

Decentralized Finance (Defi) refers to financial products and services that replicate traditional financial offerings by leveraging a blockchain's trustless and transparent platform. Decentralized finance (Defi) is an emerging industry that promises to revolutionize the traditional finance sector. The need for an open, transparent, and secure financial system is the key driver behind the decentralized finance vs. traditional finance debate, so it does not come as a surprise that decentralized finance is slowly emerging as an alternative to today’s financial system. It has the potential to disrupt traditional finance because of its ability to be a financial tool outside the government's regulatory control. Decentralized finance is still at its developmental stage, and it is relatively new to many of us. 

Decentralized financial systems offer a whole range of advantages that make them more flexible, faster, and less complicated than our traditional centralized system. Until now, we have been dependent on entrusting our money and assets to a third party, usually a bank. On the other hand, the decentralized financial system gives individuals total control over their respective money and assets. In a decentralized financial system, the idea is that each individual has his or her own digital wallet, in which they store their digital assets independent of a third party as an administrator or intermediary; hence transactions between individuals are now directly from each individual to the other.

![decentralized finance](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1628296883/bexl-capital/blog/decentralized_finance_ymxbbt.png)

In Defi, a smart contract replaces the financial institution in the transaction. A smart contract is a programmable contract that can hold funds and send or refund them based on certain conditions. No one can alter a smart contract when it's live; hence it will always run as programmed.

Decentralized finance started gaining prominence as a replacement for the traditional finance system in 2018 when 15 Ethereum-based projects came together with the aim of building an independent, secure, and open financial system. Some of the early proponents behind the Defi movement included [MakerDao](https://makerdao.com/en/), [Origin Protocol](https://www.originprotocol.com/en), and [Paradigm](https://www.paradigm.xyz/).

### Advantages Of Decentralized Financial Systems Over Traditional Financial Systems.

Defi may increase the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility of the financial infrastructure.

- Decentralized finance stands out as an alternative to traditional finance because it can eliminate financial bureaucracy, which is a burden of today’s financial system.

- Defi was inspired by the aversion to governments and other financial institutions after the real estate bubble of 2008. In the same spirit, Defi essentially eliminates the need for financial institutions and governments when accessing financial products and is therefore also referred to as Open Finance.

- The decentralized financial system uses a public distributed ledger system through blockchain technology, and it acts as the trusted source governing all operations in the financial sector as opposed to the traditional financial system that entails governments and financial institutions acting as a trusted source governing all operations in the traditional finance.

- Decentralized finance is also proving to be a reliable method of overcome issues related to hyperinflation resulting from currency manipulation or unexpected devaluations.

- Decentralized finance doesn't have cumbersome barriers for entry for emerging financial companies as seen in traditional finance. Anybody with programming skills can build financial services and tools on top of the public blockchain.

- Decentralized finance will be able to provide financial services without geographical barriers and reach places where traditional finance systems have struggled to reach.

- Decentralized finance offers the possibility of providing uncensored global finances. In a world where people value their privacy, any product that makes it possible to avoid unethical encroachments from any centralized authority will be enticing for people who value their financial privacy.

- The integration of blockchain technology into a number of financial products, such as Ripple, makes it possible for people to send and receive money without having to worry about bans or restrictions. The fact that people cannot track transactions using digital ledger technologies makes it possible to complete transactions without having to worry about privacy violations by governments. 

- Decentralized financial systems don't require heavy human capital as most of the processes are carried out through smart contracts. Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being written directly into lines of code. It enables transactions and agreements to be carried out among disparate anonymous parties without the need for a central authority, legal system, or external enforcement mechanism. Smart contracts render transactions' traceable, transparent, and irreversible. The use of smart contracts in decentralized finance eliminates the need for human capital and 3rd parties of any sort.  While much of the traditional financial system is trust-based and dependent on centralized institutions, Defi replaces some trust requirements with smart contracts. The contracts can assume the roles of custodians, escrow agents, and CounterParties. For example, if two parties want to exchange digital assets in the form of tokens, there is no need for guarantees from a CounterParty.

Despite all these promising possibilities, we also see that a fully decentralized financial world still seems to be a vision of the future.

### Criticisms Of Decentralized Finance

Decentralized finance (Defi) is an emerging industry that promises to revolutionize the traditional finance sector. Decentralized finance is still at its developmental stage and still has a few hurdles to overcome before it can topple the traditional financial system. 

1. One of the biggest challenges that could stop decentralized finance from replacing traditional finance systems is the aspect of people being forced to trust unregulated open-source code.

2. Although some blockchains are virtually impossible to hack, the cryptocurrency world still stands the risk of being vulnerable to hacks, often resulting in large sums of money disappearing.

3. The most considerable risk of the Defi ecosystem is the same risk that applies to all investments in the world of cryptocurrency. If you get locked out of your wallet, then you have lost your entire investment. This can be avoided by backing up your account information.

4. Unlike its centralized counterparts, there is no general body to report cases of fraud that occur in decentralized finance.

5. The Defi space is still developing. Hence it is not user-friendly, and it has proved difficult for non-tech-savvy users to navigate. 

6. The smart contracts that Defi platforms use can have bugs, making them malfunction, resulting in users getting their funds stuck in the smart contract. However, to protect users against such occurrences, there are Defi insurance platforms like etherisc and nexus mutual, giving users the confidence to use Defi platforms.

The technology behind the decentralized finance application is still underdeveloped and unfriendly, and it will always be prone to vulnerabilities that would damage the technology’s reputation. It is important to note that the Defi space is still in a developmental stage, and as such, it is bound to overcome the majority if not all the current hurdles it is currently facing.  We are also bound to see a gradual but decisive shift from the traditional finance system to the decentralized financial system. This is due to the continuous failings of centralized bodies such as governments and banks. The financial crisis of 2008, where many people lost their fortunes as a good number of banks went under, is a prime example of the numerous failings of the traditional financial system. Concerned by the threat posed by the current traditional financial systems, many people are looking to emerging technologies to shield themselves, and this is where Defi comes in to shape the future of our financial systems.

Defi is the right step in the evolution of banking and finance. It is clear that the decentralized finance industry undoubtedly has vast potential. Although there is speculation over whether decentralized finance is yet another bubble, I believe it is here to stay. However, its continued existence depends on how quickly Defi can overcome its current criticisms and how rapidly centralized finance institutions incorporate Defi.



Finance is defined as the management of money, and it includes activities such as investing, borrowing, lending, budgeting, and saving. Finance originates from the French word "Finer," which means "to end" and "to pay".

Traditional Finance and Decentralized Finance

Inflation can be defined in many ways; it can be defined as a decrease in the purchasing power of a currency; it can also be defined as an increase in the general price level of goods and services.

Inflation

# GameFi

![GameFi Image](https://res.cloudinary.com/dsbogvjcc/image/upload/v1636402705/bexl-capital/blog/gamefi_qzx4r4.png)

Some might wonder what a technology as sophisticated as blockchain can bring into the “trivial” world of gaming. Firstly, blockchain technology has the possibility of having a use case in every sector of the modern world. Secondly, the video game sector is immensely large. In fact, it is larger than the movie and music industry combined, and it is only growing. Though it doesn't get the same attention as the movie and music industries, there are over 2.7 billion gamers worldwide. That is about 26% of the world's population. In 2020 only, the gaming industry generated $155 billion in revenue, which is a staggering figure compared to the $32 billion and $21 billion revenue generated by the movie and music industry.
The gaming industry has evolved from humble beginnings. From the days of playing Super Mario on a 16-bit gaming console, the gaming industry has now evolved into a warehouse of emotion-churning, engrossing virtual reality games that reward precision and planning.
Games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty, are massive multiplayer online games (MMOs) where players’ characters are customized to their own personality and hence need to live in a fair world. These games have high emotional stakes and are very close to real-life dynamics. Most of these games are streamed online and players use virtual assets like real-world resources to achieve specific goals and establish their superiority. Gaming is quickly becoming a world sport. As the industry keeps experiencing rapid growth, new problems have emerged. 
These problems did not exist a decade ago since the games were not as close to real life as they are now thanks to the advancement of technology with virtual reality (VR) headsets and 5G data streaming capabilities. These problems need to be addressed before they hamper the growth of this mammoth industry. The current problems of the gaming industry are a lack of transparency and trust between game developers and players. The games often have an economy inside them. This in-game economy is completely controlled by the developers, limiting user rights and control over their in-game assets even after spending real money to acquire them. Users also want fairness and transparency when it comes to transactions and ownership of assets.

## Blockchain Technology and Gaming.
The crypto space continues to expand, with new developments rolling out. First, it was cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, then came smart contracts and dApps, which led to the explosion of Decentralized Finance (DeFi). Defi offers a  global, open alternative to every financial service you use today; savings, loans, trading, insurance, and more accessible to anyone in the world with at least a smartphone and internet connection. Furthermore, every sector of DeFi brings users to a new reality of what can be achieved on the blockchain. From exchanges to wallets, NFT’s, and of recent GameFi, all of these giant leaps have pushed the world closer to letting go of the traditional finance system and achieving the aim of a truly Decentralized Financial system.

### What GameFi Offers?
GameFi combines decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with blockchain-based gaming.
What GameFi aims to attain is to revolutionize the gaming industry current system, from the “play to win” and “pay to win” gaming model the majority of us grew up knowing and replacing it with a “play to earn model” that rewards players and allows them real ownership of in-game assets, thereby solving one of the biggest issues faced by the gaming industry today. Most of the iconic games we know today operate the “Play to Win,” which means; gamers play the game to scale levels and eventually defeat a boss level; after that, the game is won, and all the assets you have acquired while playing the game would have no use to you once you are done playing the game. 
What GameFi does is that it leverages NFT technology and allows game players to ‘tokenize’ in-game assets; for example, a game could represent your unique character or avatar as an NFT, also Digital items you acquire while playing the game could also be NFTs. You can then swap or trade your NFTs with other players for profit. To swap, create, and implement NFTs within a game, the game developers create smart contracts( self-executing pieces of code stored on a blockchain.)  that make up the rules for the NFTs used. Besides tokenizing in-game assets as NFTs, the play-to-earn model may also allow users to generate an income stream through playing. Typically, a player is rewarded with tokens and occasionally NFTs, earning more the longer they play.
GameFi projects have tokens that players can buy to facilitate their performance in the game, or they can be traded like a financial asset on the blockchain. In addition, GameFi has deployed several mechanisms such as staking or collecting rare items as NFTs that can be traded within an NFT marketplace.

### USE CASES FOR GameFi
- Blockchain has been a boon to many industries that lack accountability. At the core of this technology is the ability to create a trustless environment that facilitates immutable transactions between two strangers over the internet. Blockchain essentially provides a decentralized, transparent ledger that is cryptographically stored on various nodes spread across the world. No single entity controls the network, no single database to attack or hack, and no possibility of reversing the transactions once made. The low cost of transactions makes it easier to transfer money, or any other tokenized asset across the world. These transactions do not go through any middleman, and hence the transactions are near real-time.

- Gaming platforms are hosted on centralized servers, and transactions are often made on mobile phones or desktops without adequate security measures. Also, assets held in gaming accounts are liable to be stolen. They are not as secure as our bank accounts, however valuable a gaming account may be. Blockchain is known for being the most secure way of storing value. They are designed to be unhackable. Storing digital gaming assets on a blockchain would enhance the security for a player who has worked hard to collect them.

- Depending on which game is played, users can increase their earning potential by dedicating time leveling up and improving their characters, creating monetized structures on their land that other gamers pay to use, or competing against others in tournaments.

- Since all in-game assets acquired are NFTs, all the items you own in the game are truly yours. The developers of the game you’re playing won’t have any say in what you can do with them, and it’s almost impossible to take it away from you.

- Due to the nature of the blockchains Distributed Ledger Technology, it is easy to keep tabs on all NFT transactions, and Players can easily prove ownership of their in-game items; also, these items cannot be counterfeited.

- Some games also include DeFi elements such as staking, which allows players to lock away certain tokens to earn interest and other rewards.

- Gaming is a global sport, and Players from different countries routinely play games with metaverses such as Fortnite, Call of Duty, Roblox with each other. GameFi, with the aid of decentralized finance, Players would aid the transfer of their assets without taking days for processing payments and jumping through the legal hoops. Blockchain would enable instant payments across the world. This means there would be no restrictions as to when and what kind of in-game assets can be transferred between players. Game-native cryptocurrencies can be sent and received without the need for intermediary settlement, clearing, or custody.

- GameFi is one of the easiest ways to get into the cryptocurrency community.

### TOP GameFi Games.
1. **Axie Infinity:** If you have been anywhere near the NFT space recently, then Axie Infinity coming up top should not come as a surprise to you. Axie Infinity is a Pokemon-inspired universe where you can buy, take care of, breed, and trade digital monsters called “Axies.” Axie Infinity runs off its own specifically built sidechain so that it can optimize gameplay and scale effectively. Among GameFi projects, Axie Infinity has the most expensive collection of NFTs, mainly due to the size of its community. It is also the highest-ranked GameFi project by market cap. Axie Infinity became particularly popular in the Philippines, where many users started to live off its play-to-earn model. Many players are making between $200 to $1000 (USD) per month, and some even more than that, depending on the market price and time invested.

2. **Alien Worlds:** Alien Worlds is a DeFi NFT metaverse where you can collect and play with unique digital items. In this game, players join an alien universe consisting of several planets where they must fight for scarce resources and mine the game’s native cryptocurrency, trillium (TLM). Players can also battle each other, go on quests and earn additional income by renting out their land to others. Alien world was the first blockchain game to break 100,000 users, and they currently boast over 2.5 million users; this is credited to its free-to-play nature as players of the game can earn on it without making any initial investments. Players of Alien world earn a crypto asset known as TLM by mining for trillium in the game or completing other activities. With the right tools, players can earn well over $300 monthly from this game.

3. **MOBOX:** MOBOX is an NFT gaming ecosystem that combines yield farming in DeFi with gaming NFTs, creating a free-to-play, play-to-earn gaming model. The native NFTs on MOBOX are dubbed MOMOs and can be acquired through mystery boxes. Users who receive these NFTs can decide to trade them, stake the NFTs to farm MBOX tokens, or use them as collateral for other uses throughout the ecosystem's games.  Players can earn MBOX tokens without spending any money. MOBOX has several game modes such as the MOMO Farmer that lets players yield farm and earn tokens, also the Trade Action is more educational and competitive, featuring a weekly risk-free trading competition and finally, the core game, dubbed MOMO Token Master, lets players rob their friends and foes of gold coins by battling one another. 

4. **Lost relics:** Lost Relics is similar to every other Role-Playing Game. The in-game mechanics are similar to the Diablo game series. Of all the games on this list, it is suitable for hardcore action and adventure-loving gamers. It’s a hack-and-slash type of game where players can go monster hunting. Each successful kill earns you a drop ranging from weapons to accessories. These items can then be traded with other players online for real money. In this game, you can fight monsters, complete quests, invade dungeons, as well as collect the rarest loot. These items also have a blockchain type, which is the one that allows you to generate revenues. With enough time and dedication, you can make about $100 every day from playing lost relics. 

5. **Lightnite:** Lightnite is an upcoming free-to-play multiplayer third-person battle royale shooter for PC with in-game rewards integrating blockchain and NFT technology protocols that enable players to own and trade what they earn or buy in-game for Bitcoin cryptocurrency, and a minimalistic low-poly & cartoonish design offering several game modes like team deathmatch or a battle-royale game mode for solo and squads teamplay. There is a competitive mode where players instantly earn or lose their assets in the arena. All in-game items and gear are tokenized in a blockchain using the Bitcoin sidechain Liquid network. This means items have a strong real value that players can increase as they win battles while decreasing scarcity and then trade their profits in a public marketplace. There is also a casual mode where players just play for fun and prestige, and there is no loot.

6. **The Sandbox:** The Sandbox is a project with massive potential and is poised to bring millions of new users into the crypto market while also offering a good investment opportunity. The sandbox is a virtual world built on the Ethereum blockchain, where players can build, own and monetize their gaming experience. The game has been available on iOS and android app stores, amassing about 40 million downloads for the non-crypto version. This goes to show that the game already has an existing fanbase; this makes it one of the most anticipated crypto projects. The game is about creating an immersive metaverse, where players create virtual worlds and in-game assets without a central authority. Within the sandbox metaverse, lands are pieces of digital real estate that players can buy to create experiences. Players can populate their land with in-game assets to create unique gaming experiences and monetize these experiences for other players in the game. It’s important to know that each land is an NFT on the Ethereum blockchain; this makes them capable of ownership and tradeable. At the moment there is a capped supply of 160,000 lands in the SANDBOX and some have been put up for sale already to the public. Companies such as Binance, The Walking Dead, Rollercoaster Tycoon, the smurfs, cryptokitties, and ATARI have purchased a ton of virtual land in the sandbox metaverse.

7. **Iluvium:** Illuvium is an upcoming Ethereum-backed auto battler game where players can wander into dangerous places to hunt and capture NFT beasts, known as “the Illuvials' ', to battle in the arenas or sell them in the marketplace for profits. The game combines traditional RPG collection games, fight mechanics of the Auto Battler genre, and vast landscapes seen in open-world games. Illuvium provides players with an immersive gameplay experience, and it is easy to play for players of any age. Although Illuvium has blockchain-based elements, it is more akin to a full-fledged video game. It’s accessed through a downloadable desktop app, but also has a range of supporting DeFi applications surrounding it, including a yield farm and decentralized exchange. Although both Illuvium and Axie Infinity feature collectible in-game characters that can be battled, traded, and upgraded, the scope of the game world differs somewhat. On one side, Illuvium is a 3D role-playing game with a gradually revealed storyline and a massive, open, explorable landscape. The earning mechanism for Illuvium is not known as of now because the game has not yet been released.

8. **Star Atlas:** Star Atlas is an MMO set in the year 2620. The universe has been colonized and balkanized. Three factions split control, while somewhere in the deepest, most dangerous sector of space, something extremely valuable lurks. Although that sounds like many games already out there, there’s a key difference: Star Atlas is powered by blockchain technology, which means that in line with the spirit of GameFi the players truly own the stuff they win or buy in the game. Players can earn in-game currency ATLAS and POLIS, buy anything from ships to space stations to land, and go on missions. The Star Atlas ecosystem is built on two tokens. The first, ATLAS, is the typical in-game currency. Players can earn ATLAS by doing various activities, like mining ore, going on missions and selling it in the in-game market, or even by selling their assets. POLIS, on the other hand, is a governance token that means you get to play the other aspect of the game that has to do with the governance of the Star Atlas ecosystem. Star Atlas has layers of governance built in that are controlled by players, from local corporations and guilds to giant regional DAOs. Any player holding POLIS can make decisions about the game and perhaps most interestingly, outvote even the creators of the game as we have seen in various DAOs(decentralized autonomous organizations).

9. **Mirandus:** Mirandus is an epic fantasy RPG set in a massive world ruled by five player-monarchs. In the game, players have absolute freedom of choice: they can set out into the wilderness alone to try their fortunes against the monsters of the deep woods and dungeons, join with one of the monarchs to serve as a knight in their court, or set up shop in one of the five great cities of the realm. Player ownership of in-game assets is a central mechanic, with players holding land deeds that allow them to claim parts of the wilderness and set up holdfasts ranging from small farms to massive cities. In Mirandus, you decide who you will be and choose your own quest in the epic fight against evil. The studio's most ambitious release to date, Mirandus, gives players a wealth of strategic options; as earlier mentioned, a player can decide to: set out into the wilderness to try their fortunes against the monsters of the deep woods and dungeons; join with one of the monarchs to serve as a knight in their court, or set up shop in one of the five great cities of the realm. Player ownership of in-game assets is a central mechanic, with players able to claim parts of the wilderness and set up holdfasts ranging from small farms to massive cities. The five citadels, issued as 1/1 items (Earth, Sky, Moon, Sun, Stars), grant the owner a kingdom and capital city within Mirandus. The smallest land holding, a homestead, costs approximately $50 in GALA tokens and is a 1/1000 NFT. However, Mirandus does not have a playable build yet, and there is no set release date for the full release of Mirandus. The current plan is to have an alpha release around the end of 2021. At its release, landholding Mirandus will be available for PC and MAC OS.

10. **Townstar:** Town Star is the flagship game of Gala Games. Town Star is a competitive farming game from the company behind Farmville. Each week, the top players on the leaderboard win big prizes, and every day, players complete challenges to unlock and collect TownCoin play-to-earn rewards! The goal is to grow, gather, and craft your way to build the most efficient and productive town possible. Your items and currency are stored on the Gala blockchain and can be bought, sold, and traded for Gala and/or other cryptocurrencies. You will earn additional on-chain items just by playing the game, and these items can be bought, sold, and traded among your fellow players. Townstar is currently available to be played on a browser.

The gaming industry has evolved alongside technology making it more available to the ever-growing community of consumers globally. From the humble beginnings of the 6”11 feet tall arcade games standing at the corners of restaurants to the impressive 13cm tall Xbox series X games sitting in the various houses of gamers to the mind-blowing 2.2billion mobile gamers(accounting for 28% of the world population)  supporting the industry globally, no doubt gaming industry has come a long way. 

The introduction of blockchain technology promises to revolutionize the way the world operates and the gaming industry is not an exception. The application of blockchain to gaming has brought about concepts like play to earn to gaming and it is geared up to completely change the way the world looks at gaming.

The crypto space continues to expand, with new developments rolling out, cryptocurrencies, blockchain and then came smart contracts and dApps, which led to Decentralized Finance (DeFi). GameFi combines decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with blockchain-based gaming.

ASSET MANAGEMENT

BEXL GAMING